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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,178
Registered: ‎07-26-2014

😱 Insomnia can kill 😱

I never knew this till I saw this movie on tv last week.  The movie, A Score To Settle starred Nicholas Cage who suffered from a form of insomnia called fatal familial insomnia.  I thought it was some movie medical mumbo jumbo.

 

I did some DuckGoGo research & confirmed it's also called FFI.  This form of insomnia leads to exhaustion, dementia, coma, and eventually death. Individuals with this condition are unable to sleep and fall into a state between normal waking and sleeping consciousness.

 

532149.gifHas anyone ever heard of FFI or has known anyone who died from insomnia?

 

 

 

 

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."


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Super Contributor
Posts: 345
Registered: ‎05-02-2011

Re: 😱 Insomnia can kill 😱

A news program, maybe 60 minutes, featured this condition a few years ago.  The story of an Italian man was told.  He Was one of the first to have this genetic condition verified.  Apparently, the cause is what I call a genetic time bomb because it doesn’t manifest until adulthood, by which time the carrier has already passed it on to offspring.  It is so tragic but apparently extremely rare.  The program showed pictures of him as the disease progressed.  He was a quite handsome man who deteriorated into a disheveled, zombie-like appearance shortly before his death.  No treatment available.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,462
Registered: ‎07-20-2014

Re: 😱 Insomnia can kill 😱

[ Edited ]

@Twoaces wrote:

A news program, maybe 60 minutes, featured this condition a few years ago.  The story of an Italian man was told.  He Was one of the first to have this genetic condition verified.  Apparently, the cause is what I call a genetic time bomb because it doesn’t manifest until adulthood, by which time the carrier has already passed it on to offspring.  It is so tragic but apparently extremely rare.  The program showed pictures of him as the disease progressed.  He was a quite handsome man who deteriorated into a disheveled, zombie-like appearance shortly before his death.  No treatment available.


I remember a program about that too several years back.  Truly horrifying condition.  Fortunately it's quite rare.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,597
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: 😱 Insomnia can kill 😱

[ Edited ]

@Twoaces wrote:

A news program, maybe 60 minutes, featured this condition a few years ago.  The story of an Italian man was told.  He Was one of the first to have this genetic condition verified.  Apparently, the cause is what I call a genetic time bomb because it doesn’t manifest until adulthood, by which time the carrier has already passed it on to offspring.  It is so tragic but apparently extremely rare.  The program showed pictures of him as the disease progressed.  He was a quite handsome man who deteriorated into a disheveled, zombie-like appearance shortly before his death.  No treatment available.


 

 

Yes, I've heard of that condition. I think I watched that same show @Twoaces saw. Very interesting.

 

ETA - I believe that TV show was an episode of the series 'Somethings Killing Me' on HLN, titled 'Family Curse' from 9/2017.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,510
Registered: ‎05-23-2010

Re: 😱 Insomnia can kill 😱

This is a rare genetic condition. There’s one village, I can’t remembe where it is, but the inhabitants are currently participating in a long term study about the condition. Unfortunately, it’s fatal. Heartbreaking.